Unions have expressed outrage at plans that could see home care workers at a Labour-controlled council employed on controversial “zero hours” contracts.

Proposals put forward by senior officers at Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council would see the workers paid for the number of home visits they make, with no continuing certainty about how many visits they make or how much they will earn.

The increasing use of “zero hours” contracts has proved controversial since they were first introduced in the UK. More than 200,000 workers are on the deals, which are particularly popular with fast food chains and high street stores.

Only last week Business Secretary Vince Cable said his department would look at whether the law on such contracts needs to be tightened to protect the rights of workers.

Reacting to RCT council proposals Mike Colley, trade union regional organiser for Unison, said: “These employees are already among the lowest paid council workers, and if these proposals are implemented their terms and conditions would become even worse.

“There will be a situation where, for example, individuals could be expected to work three short shifts of two hours in one day, spaced out from very early in the morning into the evening.

“Such conditions wreck people’s work-life balance, leaving them exhausted, worse off and demoralised. There isn’t going to be a stable workforce and the elderly people who depend on the service and like stability will suffer as a result.

“Cuts of this kind are linked to the increasing privatisation of the home care service – the only way companies can make a profit is by cutting the wages of the employees.

“I’ve noticed that David Cameron has stopped saying ‘we are all in this together’ – while bankers continue to get their bonuses, it is people at the bottom who are having their living standards cut even further.

“These proposals are not acceptable to our members and we have asked the council’s management to withdraw them.”

Mr Colley said it was likely that similar proposals would be put forward by other local authorities – Merthyr Tydfil had done so already.

We have seen a letter written by staff representatives from three unions at RCT – Unison, GMB and Unite – that sets out details of the council’s plans and the strong objections to them.

One section of the letter suggests the council may already have breached its existing agreement with the unions by paying some employees less than they are entitled to. It states: “The Joint Trade Union Group (JTUG) would expect you to provide detailed guidance of examples where you would expect a member to be paid or not.

“You also state that this practice of only paying contract hours is already in use in intermediate care and re-ablement. This is not the agreement that has been made with the trade unions.

“The JTUG believes that when an itinerary is issued there is a contractual obligation to pay agreed hours. We will be seeking further meetings with appropriate HR officers with a view to securing back payment if appropriate.”

Pauline Jarman, leader of the opposition Plaid Cymru group at RCT, said: “I am extremely concerned to hear of these proposals, which have not been brought before the council. Even Labour councillors I have spoken to don’t know about them.

“The care offered to RCT residents is of a very high quality and people will be dismayed to learn that workers are facing changes to their working conditions of this kind. The council’s political leaders should take charge of the situation and explain what is going on.

“For the last three years, the budget for elderly services has been under-spent by £1m, with money being transferred into children’s services, where unfortunately more and more children are requiring care.

“With the numbers of elderly people in RCT rising, more will be needing good quality care. That can’t be achieved by cutting workers’ terms and conditions in the way being proposed.”

A spokesman for RCT council said: “As a result of spending cuts being imposed on Wales by the UK Government, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is being forced to seek new ways of delivering many of its vital services.

“The council has therefore entered into discussion with the trade unions as we seek to find new ways of delivering home care services, which ensure we make savings while attempting to maintain services to the residents of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

“This approach will ensure the same standards and levels of services for users, and will importantly preserve the jobs of every existing member of our in-house home care workforce.”